Living In A Society

dragonbutterfly

2011-11-10T11:56:00.001+07:00

Spider

2011-11-08T11:31:00.000+07:00

Travels In A Golden Land

2011-11-06T17:15:00.000+07:00

When we first met Nyi Nyi

He told us all his name

Said friends all called him Frankie

And we should do the same

Because his name is hard to say

The likelihood was strong

That if we called him Nyi Nyi

We were bound to get it wrong

His English, tho, was excellent

His knowledge clearly wide

And we were all so glad that he

Was going to be our guide

That first day when we got there

He stood up on the bus

Explained that he would show us round

And take good care of us

And for two weeks he has done

In oh so many ways

Explaining life in Burma

And filling up our days

With temples and with Buddhas

With early morning flights

With rides in balloons and trips onboats

To see amazing sights

Sunrise on Lake Inle

Aboard a long tailed boat

Trekking up the mountains

To places quite remote

Taking tea in monasteries

Palata from a stall

Buddhist friezes painted

On ancient temple wall

Reclining Buddha sleeping

Flowers at his feet

Pink and yellow garlands

Frangipani sweet

Neon flashing halos

Lighting up gold leaf

Honouring the Buddha

The faithful bow beneath

Nuns in robes of red and pink

Walk by with shaven head

With silver bowl extended

To receive their daily bread

Children running barefoot

Monks with sandalled feet

Women cooking dumplings

Overfires on the street

Women from the hill tribes

Silver in their ears

Blackened teeth and turbans worn

As they have done for years

Beaded silver headdress

That Aka women wear

While village mother quietly

Combs length of stone grey hair

While women folk and farmers

Labour in the field

Bringing in the harvest

Gathering the yield

Of cabbages and sweet corn

Rice and ears of grain

Beans and sweet potato

Fruit and sugar cane

On patchwork quilted hillsides

Under cloud blue sky

Ochre, red and yellow

As we journey by

And so the bus drives onwards

We ask for it to stop

To take another picture

To see another shop

To buy another longhi

To buy another hat

To haggle in the markets

To save a thousand khat

To take home a memento

So we will not forget

The time we’ve had in Burma

That’s not quite over yet

All of this and so much more

We’ve learned from being here

Memories more powerful

Than any souvenir

Images of Burma

Fabled golden land

Which, with thanks to Frankie

We begin to understand

And so, with thanks from all of us,

There’s nothing left to say

Except goodbye to Frankie

And a heartfelt “Jezebeh”

Anna Quarendon

5th Nov, 2011

Onlookers

2011-10-22T01:13:00.002+07:00

Onlooker (1)

Onlooker - the trio

Onlookers

Pa-O or Descendants of Dragon

2011-10-21T13:22:00.001+07:00

The people of colorful turban that you see in Shan State, Myanmar are called "Pa-O."

Waiting for the boat race on the lake Inle


the Duo

the Chinthe

2011-10-19T12:51:00.000+07:00

Dear Yangon

2011-10-18T14:54:00.000+07:00

Negative viewers will say electricity is not served 24/7 365 days a year. Do still positive thinkers view it as "we got electricity very often!"?
Some says Yangon is getting dirty despite some says it is progressing slow and steady.
Yangon, a place claimed for the Commercial capital *of 58 million Country; where 10 flights a day landing; is running her daily routine without efficient infrastructure boasting a billboard "Towards a Modern Developed Nation"
Yangon, a place where you can see "electricity will be back 24 hours" in local news paper every year.
It is a place "trucks are used for daily passengers in and out of city" hearing "shouts towards its passengers from a bus conductor" educating how you should ride a truck properly.
Yangon, internet is slow or out of service from time to time to forecast the weather of politics; people predicts something must be wrong with it for those days.
Yangon, she is belong to the majority who tries to earn .50 cents to 3 US$ a day.
It is the place where the land mark of the Country exists. Shwe Dagon Pagoda as in many Buddhist temples have, Board of trustees are ex-Generals who talk "Buddha, Buddha" but work "Soldier, Soldier."
Yangon is a place of "the Rich" free from Forbes list of World Richest people, not because they are poorer, but because of "EU/US/Canada economic embargo/sanction"

(i found this from my draft, this has been written for years now and electricity in Yangon is getting better though most of the facts remain true to me.)

Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival

2011-10-18T09:41:00.000+07:00


Inle lake

in the process

awaiting people for festival before main Temple

Burma is not cheap to travel though

2011-10-17T18:50:00.001+07:00

It's been now 3 years that I've been watching the commodity price here in Myanmar that has been rising up. It becomes "expensive nation" despite its poor people. Outsiders especially foreign individual travelers to this Country draw a logic that this poor country must be cheap to roam about. This logic seems not fit well to Burma. (as you think other countries, Cambodia, Laos.. , I might be wrong.)

Of course, I am not speaking of "expensiveness" of Singapore but compare to other Southeast Asian nations, Myanmar is considerably high from street food to hotel rooms. Let's say basic hotel accommodation starts from 20US$ with limited choice. Caution: Don't be surprised if your Lonely Planet doesn't follow the Reality. However Myanmar remains "Charm" in her own way and still unspoiled unique culture to explore (if money not matters most in this regard)

The recent trip with Melbourne, we stopped by Ayetharyar Vineyard on the way to Taunggyi, Capital of Southern Shan State. The German expert who run this winery said "we can't produce enough for domestic consumption" while one of jolly participants in our group asked for "free wine" trade with an article of this wine. This reminds me once "Mr Boris from Le Planteur (a Yangon high-end restaurant) said "their business depends on Burmese consumers, not tourists."

Vineyard from Taunggyi

I am being confused with "why this and why that." It's a guess work and I think it's because (a) "unfavorable foreign exchange rate especially with US$," (b) Foreign cash flow into Myanmar from most lucrative business such as "offshore gas" and "gems stones," (c) pay raise for government staffs, and (d) recent privatization. Hey I'm not an expert in economics, but this is just a guesswork from me just to figure out some.

My Eyes On Bagan

2011-10-17T10:28:00.001+07:00

Bagan at Sundown

Bagan at Sunrise

Yike!! Back on the Road

2011-10-08T00:02:00.001+07:00

I'm traveling again with Melbourne, the photographer along with Maria and 11 participants. We'll be traveling to Bagan and Inle lake timed to shoot "procession of Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda festival" and "Boat racing." Hope this trip brings "best pictures" 2011.

Meanwhile, a lot of places in Myanmar are flooded and rainy these days. Monsoon should have ended anytime soon though. May the overcast days be OVER!

Life is a Dice Game

2011-09-18T01:16:00.000+07:00

you don't know what's gonna be on your table.. that's it.

ASEAN Standard, Unknown Decision

2011-09-18T00:58:00.002+07:00

I used to enjoy "stories" from my grandpa. He used to say one thing,

"Unknown Kingdom, say it Varanasi
Unknown King, say it Bramadat "

To begin a conventional story, you have to tell which kingdom and king that would have taken place. To know everything exactly is quite impossible but you must tell something to impress the listeners so those are manual for a story teller. This is a reason to avoid "confusion" and make it easy. Once upon a time, there was a King called Bramadat in Varanasi...........

Nowadays there is a loud reason in changes (overnight changes from time to time) in the name sake of "ASEAN standard." The first classic example is "about the trucks" in Myanmar of their standard "size" and "standard weigh." It might be a very good idea for "road and bridge maintenance" and "trade among ASEAN." But the immediate impact is the "price" dealing with people. The commodity price soars ever since. From truck driver to store keepers say "it is ASEAN Standard."

One day very recently, I happened to look around walking in Yangon downtown. I asked to the old man from car park why the streets are clear from street vendors. He said "because of ASEAN Standard, Yangon must be clear." Understanding that Yangon sidewalk vendors are living day to day basis making the ends meet, when they were ordered to stop business operations in streets of Yangon, what shall they eat? I can't imagine how this plan jeopardize many families in terms of their income and family support. Don't worry they will reopen soon! That will not last forever. Said the old man looking at me, being puzzled.

These are not really bad ideas at all. This might shed a light on future of people for living. Or this can be a nightmare as well. Whatever you do as you are tasked to, then you are prepared to say "this is ASEAN Standard." This can drive people mad.

Now it turns to tourism. Everybody says "ASEAN Standard" but no one says what that is. It becomes more likely to me that to add and end a saying from my grandpa as "Unknown policy, say it ASEAN Standard!"

Blogs Are Open Again!

2011-09-18T00:56:00.000+07:00

Wow, I've been abandoning my blogs for such a long time due to access hurdles. Literally almost all blogs in Myanmar are banned regardless of what they are posted for.

I pick up again today as I saw some political websites are open such as Irrawaddy and Mizzima news, Gosh, my blog is reopen. Shall I term this as "new phase" in Myanmar political progress? Let's wait and see!

I look forward to blog more later this year. Stay tune!

5 popular Myths of tour guide

2011-05-18T13:29:00.000+07:00

A year ago or two, I wrote "5 Phenomena of Tour Operator." Now it's time for "tour guides." As a rule in life, no one is perfect. So I take this for granted that the perception of the outsiders on tour guides in Myanmar is wrong. Again, I write this in good will and do no harms!!

Myth# 1: Are tourist guides intellectual?
As a tour guide must learn each and every subjects around him or her covering history, architecture, culture et cetera; guides literally need stressful practice of reading. In a perfect world, it must have been the truth. In contrast, we are not responsible to know everything. And most of the time, we are confused with lifestyle of "Mr. Know It All" and "being intellectual."

Myth#2: Tour Guides know and practice Theravada Buddhism deeply than ordinary layman.
This is a total error of perception from outsiders. Of course, guides can interpret basic principle of Buddhism, but they just don't go further. Majority come from same societies where they have faith in "Nat worshiping" or "empowerment of chanting Gada or Mandan" or sometimes they can be very superstitious. A guide would pray for tips, pay homage Nat for good journey etc which are deviating from insights of Theravada Buddhism.

Myth#3: Tour Guides can do every tourism related services.
From time to time, when I do search on travel forum and website such as Thorn Tree or Trip Advisor, couples of tourists recommends a guide saying they can do reservations for cars, flight seats and hotel rooms in Myanmar. And in one particular point, I stumble upon the flicker photo page, and shocked to see a visiting card of a tour guide with licensed number on it, portraying that it would do travel related services such bookings.

No, this is not true at all. Myanmar has 4 different licenses in tourism department, (1) goes for hoteliers eligible for hotel business, (2) goes for travel and tour companies, (3) goes for tour guide for conducting a business as a tour guide, and (4) goes for transportation. In formal aspect, tour companies (legal firm of tour operators) can only do those bookings as well as tour guide assignment. Of course, a guide can ask such a company to do it so. But literally, they can't give those services under the license of being a tour guide. Oh. Mr. G-0000

Myth#4: Tour guides, Tour Guides everywhere!
Streets in big or small towns, you might be followed by a guy who claims himself/herself as a tour guide offering a cheap deal. Normally, they are not tour guides but (sadly) tout. Sometimes they can speak English more fluently than a real tour guide. Any media in Myanmar would term "tour guide" for whom they see with tourists.

Myth#5: Tour guides speak "language" and behave well. Don't they?
Not every guide speaks English properly, sometimes they write much better than they speak. Nonetheless, they like to chew the betel nuts and don't bother to spit into an empty bottle of Ph7 in the car while conducting a tour. Sometimes they just don't know what language they are speaking about. Of course, guides are not responsible to speak "English" as if he were an American or a Brit. But are they understandable? I have once encountered with a group leader of Italian tourists disclosing that their guide just don't speak "the language." He merely points out things as a Kindergarten kid. It is an APPLE!!! Plus, sometimes he is the lady!!

One reason you never know the truth from these guys

2010-06-01T15:18:00.003+07:00

There came a whisper at my office desk through one of colleagues who is in charge of air ticketing business.

“You know, bro. There is a new travel agency who bought and blocked 30 seats over a flight to Kula Lumpur. Gosh! They are in trouble now, for all of tickets are not sold yet until the last minute and they only got a couple of days left over. Otherwise, they lost substantial amount of deposit.”

Their (the new agency) speculation might be like this. The flight seats are normally full with Burmese who intends to work in Malaysia in search for general works over there. Recently the demand decreasing, when new air ticketing agencies are mushrooming. The troubled agency has hold a hot potato and looking for those who can help selling them out. Quite impossible!

There are so many agencies coming up and existing ones because the travel agency business looks smart, lucrative and classy. People are like that. They always try to mimic what other is doing that they think it is profitable and great. They just don’t want to wait making proper research. In fact, it is a kind of tea shop business in Myanmar which is everywhere and everybody wants to have a bite of the business pie. One of the reasons is that it is easy to establish. This way, they start it. Easy entry, hard exit it is. Some are getting dull and gradually doomed. This recalls me a story here.

There is a village in rural part of central Myanmar. One year, a seasonal festival comes; there are make-shift huts around Zat Pwe (Burmese Drama Theater which performs all night long till dawn). All the villagers are wandering around the long stall of eateries, toys, astrologer booths, circus, merry-go-round etc. At a place, a signboard hanging over the façade of bamboo hut catches their curiosity. That says “Only 5 Kyats per person to view the Beautiful Person Alive.” Thinking 5 Kyats is not a big deal to see the World beauty, one villager initiates the entry. In few minute, man comes out. Exciting villagers outside of the hut are eagerly waiting for the response from the man.

“How was that?” Everybody yells. He said “yeah, not bad!”

So villagers in queue head for their turn to entry. Everyone comes out and hit the same response. Being doubtful, there is a man who is observing all the way through the crowd finally decided to have a go for himself for the beauty.

He pays “5 Kyats” at the door and gets in. There is a brown curtain dangling over a sign asking to pull it up to see the beauty. So he pulls. And there is nothing but a looking mirror. As a matter of fact, he sees his face.

Being ashamed and feeling stupid of how he was cheated, he comes out. Other pedestrians see him and ask. “Hey how was that?” Thinking if he says the truth, he will be laughed. He thinks whether his face looking in the mirror recently inside that god damn hut looks like! Was it ugly?

“Yes, it was Great!” He replies. Dawn has come. Busy festival of Village became calm and silent again. Nobody talks about the beauty they have seen because they were so tired that they fall sleep already.

Sunset at Dala across Yangon river

2010-04-07T15:23:00.001+07:00

It was last Saturday when a friend of mine came to office and fetched me up for a lunch. Taking advantage of afternoon spare time, we start thinking about shooting sunset pictures. First we thought about Shwedagon Pagoda and rejected as it's all blocked by buildings and trees. *(our subject is not Shwedagon). And we thought to go Sakura Tower on Sule Pagoda road, where it opens a cafeteria on it's top floor on the 20th. It offers a wide panoramic view of Yangon scape but there is a flaw that is all through thick glass. Since I love it more naked, I rejected.

Eventually we took a ferry across Yangon river, and rolled around in busy streets of Dala. And I got this shot from a shore of a water lake near by a temple.

maple skeleton

2010-03-01T18:56:00.005+07:00

I love maple leaves. Alas, without them, its trees are still beautiful.

Bottles, Sweets & a meeting

2010-03-01T11:43:00.005+07:00

The past weekends was a busy one since I gotta tie myself in three events. This photo was shot in a conference room of Myanmar ICT (Information & communication technology) Park, Yangon. These bottles play a dominant part to my eyesight since few participants were anticipated.

Shortly after a boring presentation web 2.0 from a director of a Web developing Company, a bench of sweets laid on my table. What a nice treat though! He is a young director from a private IT farm and he presented about web 2.0, its capability and their product. If these sweets didn't catch my eyes, I'd shoot "why not web 3.0" in his presentation.

Mexican food in Myanmar version

2010-01-25T01:01:00.006+07:00

As a part of travel, having local food and finding different taste is an art; what I firmly believe so. I never wander a strange city looking for a home food, I rather look for what I would try locality for a day. As you know there are slight difference between Asian food; big big difference between East and West food.

Mexican cuisine is known for its intense and varied flavors, colorful decoration, and variety of spices. Most of today's Mexican food is based on pre-Columbian traditions, including the Aztecs and Maya, combined with culinary trends introduced by Spanish colonists.

I however found surprisingly the Mexican food similarity to Burmese. Here's some pick of mine.
The soup Menudo is a traditional Mexican dish; a frequently spicy soup made with tripe.
If you can find "soup of beef intestine" အမဲအူျပဳတ္ in Myanmar, it is slightly similar to what Menudo is known in Mexico and Southern California. But remind you, it's not everyone's taste. Sandra who is an American girl working as a tour guide in Puerto Vallarta, lives there falling in love with Mexico, she understandably have a Mexican boyfriend, destined to live rest of her life there. "barrrrrrrrrr!!! I don't like the Menudo!" she resents.

Burritos are commonly called tacos de harina (wheat flour tacos) in Central and Southern Mexico and burritas (feminine variation, with 'a') in northern-style restaurants outside of Northern Mexico proper.
This is what we call "beans and rotti" ပဲျပဳတ္နံျပား a kind of famous breakfast item in Myanmar. Last but not least, if you are in somewhere overwhelmed by Mexican food, you will definitely see "tacos" everywhere; a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. This is a kind of Indian food found widely in Myanmar known as "kima palata" ကီးမားပလာတာ .

I have to admit that all the food stuffs that I have been posting here don't imply to reality of the local foods. At least, it is an idea for an introduction of Mexican food to Myanmar. Ingredients and raw materials are of course different, and I here post the somewhat similar taste you can find in Myanmar comparison to what I had in Mexico. By the way, Margarita is the unique! :D

finding and winning self

2010-01-02T18:03:00.003+07:00

I tried once to quit smoking and it was successful. The way I did is quite simple enough and hopefully understandable for anyone else. First, I asked to myself why I smoke and if I like it to quit, and what's the reason behind that bar me in an attempt to quit.
(a) I smoked because my friends smoke.
(b) I'd like to quit because I like to control myself and test if I can do it.
(c) Irritating is that quit smoking when it is impossible because of money shortage or I'm not affordable to smoke. Arrogant? Proud in wrong position? Anyway.... (but remember I was dependent to my parents for my pocket money and I was merely a high school student)

I bought a pack of cigarette. Put that on the reading desk of my study. And every time I wanted it, I looked at it, I pulled out and watched. And say to myself "this is the cigarette you wanna smoke now, but this is the cigarette you wanna challenge." "this is the cigarette you have it, this is the very thing that tests you how you can control it; game between cigarette and me. You don't smoke not because you don't have, but you don't like to. I finally won.

I started smoking again when I attended a friend wedding where I knew barely of all folks there but a bride. She came to my table and greeted saying thank you. She handed over a cigarette to while away my time. I lighted it up and smoked. Tasteless, nonsense and I started to figure how I used to like it. I thought it over again. Can I get the taste back? It must be....

Then I smoke cigarette over and over again. I'm now a real smoker and I don't want to quit and am quite happy with it.

So things in life, what you call "attachment" is how you want it. It happens the way you created it voluntarily or involuntarily. You can disagree with me but this is it. You know what!! "if you are having a crash, follow this way! :D

Happy New Year, buddies.

(this sounds pretty odd to myself writing it. but there is a certain thing why i wanna do it. God knows."

Altitude 2010

2009-12-29T15:25:00.005+07:00

A couple of days to kick the ass of 2009, huh.. I'm reflected on the recent conversation with Tony of American Altitude. You know what Frankie!!

I'm better. I have better. I do better! These are our altitude! Best believe it.

Hell, no. I guess this is the general character of human; thinking the World revolve around him/her. Who the hell in this damn world told that you are special. Huh.. I found that in Burmese, and others that I met. Yet I didn't argue it as he continued the expression.

This world is funny enough. In my shockingly coincidence, I found myself overwhelmed in the States experiencing helluva differences and overindulgence of travel, badly overwhelmed at the other side, one of my long beloved stumbled into a relation which I feel lost. It seems like I lost her in a way. Overwhelm....... too much overloaded!

What do you think? Was I better or am I? Did I do something better or do I? Did I have better? Will I be any better if you got lost yourself in something else?

This is the very moment of 2009 which is just a matter of start over of indifferent 365 days (if you don't turn down the evils). Likewise, it is to your personal life this is another start over of challenge to your life. I'll go simple enough to face the challenge as much as I could; confess it if you do mistakes, enjoy if you savor the conquer, tell you love when you do so.

full house story

2009-12-19T16:53:00.000+07:00

When the World is amidst of recession struggling not to reach depression, the recent Dubai World crisis has pushed it likely to climax of all. America and EU are still fighting recovering the status quo, Dubai became one of the unfailing market for investors projecting big, bigger, biggest buildings amazingly mushrooming all over; believing that the Sun is never down in Dubai World!
Now the State Owned Corporation has announced the debts of 60 Billion Dollars. Wall Street strike down on dollar rate!

The Myanmar Scenario
Tourists are cramped in Yangon queuing to check in. No lobby of hotels can lodge them for a waiting. Major Front Office staffs missed out welcoming guests with a drink upon arrival. Some tired jet leg tourists are taken straight to City sightseeing so tour operators and hoteliers can have some little time to manage between "check-ins and check-outs." Regular passenger buses suddenly turn into tourist buses; make-shifts. Some reports say arrival of "Chinese" and "Thais" are increasing. Some says white faces are over Yangon streets, cafe shops and restaurants. Howsoever current tourists flow into the Country, has been making tourism sector a big surprise before arrival of Santa Claus. Based on last year arrival of 260 thousand tourists, it's 30% increased this year. Such a mess *(or you call it a luck), it is challenging the target arrival of Ministry of Hotel & Tourism; 1 million yet it cannot be reached by any means!

Can we really do it?
**************************(1)******************************
Dialing.......
"Hello.. welcome to ____hotel. Hold on a moment, our operator is busy and will transfer your call shortly. " It was an auto response from a hotel.
After a while, enjoying the entertaining old fashioned music tones, I got it on the line.
"Good morning, ____hotel, how may I help you?"
Oh thank you, can you transfer to reception please?
"May I know to whom you want to talk?" "And may I know who you are?"
Gee, this telephone operator from a Foreign Joint hotel, just don't know to where I'd like to get connected. Or reception desk, does it mean a special secured place? I'm not requesting to a GM or Director of Sales? Come on! This is irritating.

****************************(2)******************************
Do you know how many stars of hotel, we are staying now?
A confused couple came out after check in and asked me this stupid question.
I said "Well, sir. We don't have official star ranking in Myanmar. It's under construction." But I guess according to the industrial belief this is almost 5 Star.
They just grimed me. When they left for home after the pleasant journey, they also left me the suggestion letter in which the line said;
"the hotel should change bedsheets before guests' check in."

****************************(3)*********************************
How do you like our special cocktails?
Oh, it is fantastic.
The proud and beautiful lady manager swayed away by us. The evening is so beautiful in a boutique hotel.
Guests decided to dine in this beautiful hotel indulging a while. Half an hour later, I joined my clients to dinner table. I'm welcome by the message!
You know we got a problem there is no response since we ordered the food 45 minutes ago.
What happens! We were then interrupted by a decent good looking waiter in charge talking to me in Burmese.
Brother, one of my men couldn't remember what the guests asked him for dinner. Could you please ask again?
Gosh!!!

******************************************************************
Last week, the Voice Weekly local journal (Vol.6, No.5) has brought up a line in hotel and tourism section page - Supplement I, page no. 41.
"We should focus now on HR matters since majority of good staffs from Myanmar hotels are now moving to Dubai, Bahrain and so forth." Said Daw May Myat Mon Win, the Sales and Marketing Manager (actually a Director) of Chatrium Hotel formerly the Hotel Nikko Royal Lake.

When the West meets East

2009-07-28T14:21:00.005+07:00

Living World with developed and developing nations becomes confused these days; especially in the Global age. Let’s see the example of discussion on “Green-house effects.”

Mr. Developed says “Look, we need to reduce the “pollutions” such as emission of carbon dioxide of the factories. To be fair, do it 50-50.” Mr. Developing reply “all these green house effects are but because of you guys who took all the possible natural resources burnt down and got your self how top you are today.” It’s unfair, let us be developed first. Then we’ll do it per se.

Is it all about leveling the play-ground? I don’t think so. It’s also something about “maturity.” Mr. Developed bully on Mr. .Developing “un-established!” Mr. Developing blame and things can’t get done. Let the earth unprotected! Mr. Al Gore wrote a famous “Inconvenient truth” highlighting about the Green things, Global warming. Appreciated! The world turns to that gentleman. Meanwhile some pointed out that how Mr. Al Gore live in the U.S using “water and electricity” so much that it can provide two or three poor villages in India.

This is not happening between and among green peace international and its activists. It all happens in different forms of social contacts as well.

Once I was asked why Myanmar has two different prices for tourists and locals. A tourist was defending on the line of human basis. Every human should have the same right. He was fighting for price. We wonder why this tourist wanted “a cheap ticket for a damn flight made in France, operated in Burma and local price for tourist.” I asked how much a flight ticket costs for an hour flight in Europe. He retorted “No, that is in Europe. Here I’m in Burma.”

Recently I’m told by a friend of friend of mine, “Will you spend this money for this trip, Frankie?” pointing to the package price.
“It’s normal; tourists spend around average 100 USD a day. To make it worse, you are here single travel which means you don’t share your cost.” I reply.

“Will you spend 100 USD a day as a Burmese?” He goes on. This is a difficult situation for me having taught as “customer is always right.” I was about to say;
“If you want to spend like a Burmese; first walk out of this hotel, eat the street food and use the communal bathrooms.” These words I never say to any clients. So I try to convince him, saying;
“Sir, will you spend 1500 USD for a SIM card like a Burmese? Will you spend 20,000 USD for 23 years old Toyota sedan type saloon as a Burmese? Mr. Helmut, this is at least what’s all about here!

What? He shouted. Are you Crazy? Who can afford these in Burma?

Look, Helmut. See the cars passing by the Sule Pagoda road, and see toddlers passing by holding graciously in their hands “GSM.” I don’t know how they can afford but it’s million of people here in the city like that.

He gave it up the conversations. He continued his ventures in Burma using several stationed guides (so far most of them are not treated for a simple Burmese meal). Every town he left, every guide picked up a phone and called.

“Bro, a strange tourist in town trying to asking me from time to time that if I can spend like a Burmese or not.”

the suffocated

2009-07-27T11:44:00.003+07:00

Just a few days went by. Nobody knew anybody. Social boundary has been a black-out as one must make the ends meet. So do the others- most of industrial fellows. I have not been posting anything at all in the Google group -where minded people of tourism industry keep the tail of what’s-up news-- for a while, I kept checking group-mails though. No advance! Dull! It’s a pity, oh yeah, it is happening all walks of life here. I took up a news journal which creating news so boring, uncertain and giving no clear message or news to the readers at all.

It reminds me of a Bulgarian blogger once posted about her meeting experience with Burmese: back to 2007 I guess; “Silence people without voice” a Bulgarian friend interpreted to me.

I think it’s ridiculous to match “silence” and “dumbness.” The subject itself reveals a kind of stuff-go-without-saying. I told Bibi, a Bulgarian girl who brought me the blog post about Burma, that it is funny. A flip side of that, it is sad. The fun part is Burmese are kinda people who makes hell of noises over its seasonal festivals, known as 12 seasons festival. Bingo! Bet you never escape.

Okay, the sad part is a bit more insight you will never understand in a slapdash look. It may be all about (a) the style of Happy-go-lucky; saying “how it comes so it comes” (b) Contentment and (c) wrong version of Lakapala “2 Truths that protect the World; Fear and Shame.”

The bring-down part of this makes “all silence.” If one of the appealing ideas has been put across and on the table, everyone will not say “cheers.” Instead, majority would say “dokkha ma shar par nae” “Don’t bother yourself!” which leads to ambiguity; “None of your ideas can happen!” Or “this creates trouble, mind your own business.” For some, they will want to wait and see until fruits bear. For others, they like to attend to their individual interest. Just stay away.

Why? Don’t you ever ask me! For it doesn’t do you good. The Fear inside me would say. So the World of our own goes this way. How far? Yes, most of us will give you a short answer- it’s for sure when things are changed. Things change when it’s changed. Who’s gonna change it? Sure not you. The Shame inside you would retort. So people come and people go year after year.

Chocolate story – Part II

2009-07-22T19:03:00.006+07:00

“Well, my husband is now in the gold mine and he would have known. But he never told me that you were coming, and he seems forgot probably. Arr-Nar-Del”

Again the lady was trying to explain about the fussy stuffs upon our seemingly unexpected arrivals. I was chatting with her to find out some local information for my trip plan in and around the lake and sanctuary. I put out a Swiss made Toblerone chocolate bar to her kid.

“Eat, kid this can make you a bigger boy!”

The little boy held back in uncertainty first and grabbed it swiftly later. It was a cold, raw night. It must have been too late for the kid and bizarre for him loosing his sleep to see strangers. So I said “Goodnight” to them and walked to the village. Our guest house itself is on the verge of Lake Indawgyi as well as the village, Lone Tong. I walked through the village looking for some breads, eggs and fruits.

I started to fear that there were none that I looked for. Every nooks and corners, there were not even single piece of bread or egg or potatoes. Gosh, what could I arrange breakfast for my Swiss friends?

“We can have some eggs if you are lucky enough to see a passenger truck tomorrow from Moe Kaung” *(the nearest town from Lone Tong – about 4 hour hard drive out.)

The friendly old lady from a shop explained to me. She is from the Burma flatland and has been settled here for 25 years now. She has moved out here since her husband being a government staff under ministry of forestry.

We had our breakfast simply; a cup of green tea and sweetened snacks we couldn’t eat at all. We were lucky that having a comb of bananas from an old gentleman, vice chair person of Shwe Myint Zu pagoda- the Golden Buddhist temple in the middle of the lake.

They say “hunger is the best sauce.” It is right for us to survive in Lone Tong 3 days with tedious eating. Upon check-out, we exchanged “thanks” to the restaurant owners, a guest-house runner, boat driver and a helper, the warden of the sanctuary. Finally to a little 8 years-old boy of the guest-house to whom I gave a bar of chocolate,

“Hey, Little one! Enjoyed the chocolate?” I asked him cheerfully (to them, it would be tearful since we were the only guests for the whole season). The skinny mother helped our last conversation saying;

“No, he didn’t. He didn’t know how to eat. That’s why I had to eat it all.”

Chocolate story – Part I

2009-07-22T14:08:00.003+07:00

We were unwelcome guests to Indaw Thar guest house by the dusk sometimes in October 2008. It was not nice and easy reaching up here: 8 hour hard ride through and over the Moe Kaung Plain and range of hills. Somewhere on the way, working elephants and golden rice field are just worthwhile. So were the Fresh breezes, accommodating luncheon invitations of the locals on the way. Most of the time challenging mountain passes are just terrible; My friends took off from the 4-WD and said if we could walk till the end and how far we could bear for this endlessly long invisible paths over the hill. Or I was suggested if we could head back to Myitkyina. Sometimes there is no single viewable or drivable track to follow at all and we have had to find our way; stop and look the path to go on. At one curve, the muddy bank blocked my view through my side window as if the car were sunk in the ground forever.

Here we are now! Welcome to Indawgyi lake and wildlife sanctuary eventually. Yet we all needed a big shower and rest like hell. The scrawny little lady appeared from the darken room of the guest house holding a candle in her hand.

“Will you stay here?” asked she.

“Of course, we already reserved the room here since a month ago. So please check.”

I talked her irritatingly thinking how people in tourism should react and treat. We might have treated better.

“Yes, don’t worry. In fact, I didn’t know. As a matter of fact, our water tank is broken and rooms are not ready yet.” “What shall I do?” The lady tried to convince me how the situation is.

“Do we have another place around here, lady?” I asked her patiently and politely.

“No, this is the only place that tourists must stay. You can have the Guest house No.2 over there only if we have the V.I.P. But now you have to stay here.” She responded.

“Okay, then why don’t we make the room right now?”
I said and run into the house looking around. The lady followed me with a bunch of keysets in her fingers. She unlocked one of the doors and showed me.

“This is the best and spacious of I have. Wait, I will go get blankets and mosquito nets for your guests.”

Bed was set. The lady gave me her “60-watt light bulb” from her sleeping place to put on the guests’ room in case electricity turned around. Lo, I found a little skinny boy hidden in the corner of the door of her mom’s sleeping place.

I related the story and convinced my friends who were wondering the messy happening at all.
“Off we go, Urs and Anita. We are eventually here in the little Texas of Burma*. We are very lucky to be here right on time to lay our lazy-poor-back-bones on the beds and taking advantage of the low temperature of the place tonight we won’t have a shower. Tomorrow the lady is going to fetch water for us in the bathroom so we can take a bath. We needed a rest, won’t we?”

My friends said it is absolutely alright with them. Frankie, long way to go, tomorrow is coming. “Goodnight.” We parted.

“A seat” where we sit

2009-07-17T12:38:00.002+07:00

It may differ from where, what and how you are. In the office, in the house, in a hotel, bus stop, at the beach, wheresoever’s.
In my daily struggle, getting on a bus or a truck to and from my office is a part. I’m blessed with those chores seeing different people almost every day.

So many of these different people are in one common character; grab a seat if situation favors. This is normal. This remains true until you read their face. The other day, the bus was so cramped that you felt like squeezed your neck, can’t breath. Show time! People are in such a damn bus No.39 to downtown area. 10.30 AM, bet you not a bad time though. You have had to stand aside when fellow passengers can put their asses beside you, around you or at your back. The bus conductor is shouting;
“Go, go, go, plenty of space at the back!” Don’t you guys dump here!’

When I look at, the bus is so busy that you don’t see where you are standing yourself. So how could one find “back”?

The conductor keeps his conducting. “Hey! Yellow shirt guy, go upward! Red longyi (Sarong like wearing) men, bend your body and get the bar left”. “White cup brother, move inward!” “You can even play the football there if you want!” “Go check it, go!!”
The bus has been removed some of its original 45 seats so to allow more people standing double, triple, overleap or sometimes you stop counting it. Helluva bus is going on the way under the rain bringing the smell of multi-level perfume and natural instincts. Mind you, to make sure, one of the lunch-box is leaking its tempting yummy “fish-paste.”

A women step beside me graciously, especially on my toes. I have no place that I can put my foot so I let it go. She might not have noted it. May be not so. When another bus make its another stop in Yuzana Plaza – the shopping mall for all sorts, some load of passengers step off. One of them is from a seat in front of me. The women whipped through my arms and threw her body on the seat—through 4 or 5 people around her including me. I didn’t mean to get the seat actually. I am the one trying to feel and do good whenever it is possible. Especially on the bus, I don’t bother getting a seat for half an hour ride and offer my seat to women, child and old people. Most of the people feel comfortable (especially men) having a seat, seeing standing women or old ones beside them. Now I looked at her face and learned.

Having a seat, she now looks very proud of it. Her face looks like a student who did a great job in the class. Like, in our school days kids are proud who answers first to the questions their teacher is asking. This is exactly it is.

She is neither wrong nor stupid. A part of our life is to get a seat. Then I come to think about a seat; how it would be in high-class something if this low-class something in the bus is this normal.

In our young Buddhist life in Myanmar, majority of us must have heard about “4 positions of a man” in daily living; Reclining, Sitting, Standing and Walking.” A man should lay his body in a certain way; sometimes reclining, sitting, standing and walking in harmony. If one of them has been put more than it should get, you get a trouble then.

Take a look at me now

2009-07-08T19:06:00.003+07:00

Well, actually I'm neither an expert nor ignorant in speaking of Green things; ecological or environmental issues. I used to be a member at Myanmar Birds & Nature Society established and facilitated in Yangon, Myanmar. I know there are some people who are profoundly crazy for watching and recording birds. I know they are really really into it. I normally don't join a kind of group to see the birds colors and featuring, but to enjoy overwhelming the richness of Nature.

Living in Myanmar, sometimes is worth to cause a man awareness of Nature exist. Living without air condition or freezers at home are not things that you are c

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raving for, if you do not have one. Knowing those emit dangerous Carbon for what is widely known as "Green house effect." Well, this sounds pretty irony but it is not. It is a contradictory between "richness of modern facilities" and "poorness of modern global environment." If you have one, you lost the other. But one confession; no offense to technology or its endeavor to life comforting. It is , yes, Victims of poverty!

Education is a part and parcel factor of life to develop and harmonize every "Tom & Jerry" stuffs in life & earth. However, there are tons of millions of people living in this blue earth knowing nothing of Nature. Or the nature they think is their daily usage; smart phones, notebook, and square flat wall they live and see every time they head to, bus, trains --- all sophisticated. Two major reasons that cause man ignorant of the Nature are;- being so poor that living day by day basis for getting food. The other is being so 21st century busy that they don't have a time to look up if the sky is blue above. When I was a school boy of 10 years old- maybe twelve, here is the poem by William Henry Davies.

Leisure

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

This poem is a full of reminder of these days. I love you guys take a look into Nature for a while, and think about what we can. Yet the World is still beautiful, the earth becomes a chronic patient, to do a remendy we must take a look into it.

5 Phenomena of Tour Operator

2009-07-08T16:27:00.001+07:00

Phenomenon 1

“Hello, my son!! Yes, this is your father calling from a big five star hotel near Nay Pyi Taw. Hello, my son do you hear me? Yes, I’m now having dinner at a five star hotel newly open. I’m provided the dinner here in a Varity of selection (actually very limited as I looked at), very good hotel my son. Listen, switch on the Television Myanma Ahthan (MRTV), this evening news, your daddy will appear on TV. OK, my son! Pls watch it without fail”

He’s is actually the one out of Tom, Dick and Harry in Myanmar travel agencies. I feel like I’m placed wrongly. Or I’m almost ready to move another career for my future.

That’s what I heard at the very table I’m sitting. Gosh, I’m not well settled enough in this tourism industry to know this kind of person exist. But look, he found an agency 3 years ago and he like the hyper mode of social activities. He must have enjoyed here a lot thus he reinvest his money from other business to this tour operation agency. He’s the man I always see on almost every activity in Myanmar tourism.

Phenomenon 2

“Eat, eat” Cried the boss to his hosted potential tour coordinator in a decent restaurant. His little manager tried so hard to bridge his boss and the tour leader; making jokes and signaling to his boss at the same time with repeated “English word”; “Isn’t it, boss? Blinking an eye, boss understood that he must laugh anyway. Dinner is over. Deal is done. Of course the company is to thrive. But the manager reminded his boss.

“Next time when you host a meal to a guest like this, please use “h-a-v-e” or “e-n-j-o-y y-o-u-r m-e-a-l.” In lieu of, Short impolite (informal) word “EAT, EAT.”

Phenomenon 3

“I found this company as I have a burning desire to see Myanmar tourism in full prosperity.” It was stated in a well-known local journal of an interview with a so-young tour operator who found a very new travel agency *(with no background of tourism). This young gentle man is nobody but Managing Director of the company. And make a press about it in a 5 star hotel inviting local media; most of them just don’t know of “tourism”. I guess if he ever wishes to see Myanmar tourism in prosperity “Don’t found an agency, but an NGO fundraising for infrastructures and activities.” But I guess he got what he wanted. As he need to be a MD. Yes, I guess so.

Phenomenon 4

Well, this guy is however “technology oriented” person who knows “internet is the only mean to his potentials.” instructing to a web-designer, “Look your design back, I said I need “the green color” don’t mix it with any colors”. The Web-designer is busy with color wheel searching similar green on green; think, light and dark on all Frame, Template, and banner. You know what my friend, “it was advised by an astrologer.” Oops!!

Phenomenon 5

Copy & Paste it! Is it very hard? Huh.. This is ongoing in his making products/programs murmuring how creativity is fatal in the Flat World.

Digits ONE, TWO and THREE

2008-09-23T18:37:00.002+07:00

In global order, digits are playing a major role as our Earth needs the Sun apparently nowadays. It is just amazing how the two digits: zero (0) and one (1), work for computers interlinked with any place to any place in the World ― digitalized & digitized.

Choose your contact number. Press between 0 to 9, to call any where you like to, it is how we are connected in global and local roaming system.

My digits here One, Two and Three doesn’t mean any of them. See how...
“#$%$^&&&*%#@^()))%$#@@^&&**(O()}:###%#??”
“*&(&^*^%#$@@@^^^^&^^^^^$#*((((^$&*((())____”

Somebody might think that I must have gone insane typing symbols like alien’s words. Absolutely No, it’s a conversation among people young and old, guys and girls every after 15th day of a month, and every week days expecting, arguing about the betting result ―we simply call them “2” and “3“ (Nha lone and Thone Lone).

I don’t know exactly where those come from and how they really work out. But allegedly 2 (Nha Lone) comes from the result of a stock market exchange result of the day; two breaks one at the lunch time and the rest of closure of office. People bet on what might be the two last digits at the end of the stock rate. Rock n Roll everyday except weekends.

3 (Thone Lone) digits comes from Lottery result in which they take the last three digits as a betting. It takes place normally 1st and 16th of a month. Both sources are from Thailand, and they bet it out here in Myanmar.

Since they are illegal for talking about them and betting so, they become quite speak-easy talks in daily life. However, many of Burmese are somehow addicted to those bets; they form as a very useful and attractive greeting. Say, what digit do you think this time/today? Or you know that 5 is too hot this time?” It’s such good breaking-ice conversation. They calculate. They stimulate. They interpret the dream. They follow the prophecy. They do whatever sources they can, to win the bet.

Digit 1 or (Ta Lone) refers to bet on “soccer” in which there is one ball that lead different result; 2:1, 1:1, and so forth. They are based from World famous & seasonal soccer game such as FA Cup, Premier League, and so on. As Soccer is the most popular game in Myanmar, betting is just an add-on. These guys on the bet know amazingly all details of the players and the teams of the World like they know when David Backham eats and shits- When Sir Alex Fagusan hates who and what is currently going on in the last minutes.

However nothing is different in the betting world that we see hardly a winner. Exist!!- is what players define for what they are doing. Rather they go shrinking each day until they found themselves nothing to eat, stay or play with it.

At one morning in Kandawlay living squat, I was standing for my Moh-hin-gar (Burmese best noodle with soup) to have it on my table. You know why, the Lady Moh-hin-gar seller was so busy with the numbers she was going to bet on that she couldn’t care her own customer. Poor me!! Ouch!

I’m much convinced that what you get is for what you pay. I try to convince it to my friends without a success. I have known friends and families who got problems with those digits and finally sold houses, assets. For those, who think they have got nothing to loose, they at least must work to have money to bet on one of those, sometimes two, sometimes all of them, three.

At the end of the day with familiar failures, they must work for tomorrow with a hope to win 1, 2 or 3.

The Waste we are eating

2008-09-18T14:16:00.004+07:00

The other night, my partner urged me that we should buy an inverter to keep our apartment alight when there is a black out which comes in both regular and random visit. I was so angry that I never want to buy this kind of thing. But the fact flicks my mind that we Burmese are wasting our time and money in different ways.

First thing reminds me about, is cars moving in and around Yangon. How expensive, they are, you will never know as an outsider living in quite a normal world. For an instance, a super saloon (sedan type) by Toyota Company of 1989 model (19 years old) costs 21739 USD. Do you think 700 times to actual price? Maybe more! Yes, it is only the sample of the car price in Myanmar. A decent Japanese bus air-conditioned 45 seats, can cost you here 121107 USD. Ouch…

Now see second waste that we are happy to, is SIM cards for “hello” world. I used to have it once in Bangkok for almost FOC. Here we spend 1500 USD (estimated) officially and 2100 USD through SIM card brokers. Adding on into a handset, surplus the price is next 80 to 600 USD. My goodness… Nowadays you see million of mobiles roaming domestically in almost all major towns in Myanmar. I see the equation that “waste multiply by million.” What if we don't use all of that money necessarily, and turn them into a good usage for development. For example, if you have a car, mobile and an apartment (need not be a good one though) and living without regular income, they should know that they can even be a foreign entrepreneur in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Privileged!!!

Third waste is that, those of “inverters and generators to replace the electricity in every household. My uncle who has lived in Japan once for 10 years, he said “oh!! I even forgot that I have light bulbs in my apartment to change it.” Elaborating how the current are stable and keeps the household electronics products safe and save. It is a most funny joke in Myanmar when we see int'l news on how messy and losses caused by a 5 minutes black out due to some turmoil in New York. We laugh... And laugh.

I have heard about Third Wave by Toffler. But here it is the obviously Third Waste by Myanmar.

Typical Singaporian Society?

2008-09-03T18:43:00.004+07:00

They say No money,no honey!! No Money, no candy!! No denial, in fact. But there is no human in you when man don't take responsiblites. See...

One of my sisters went to Singapore 6 months ago for a job search as you know lives in Myanmar is getting harder. Fortunately she has got a job in a mobile company. She was offered 1200 S$ where norm is 1700S$ per month. It is a better off pay for a Burmese girl in such work and she didn't need to know if this is a good pay or not. She just liked to work under the following condition.

She has to stay in an apartment where an old Singaporian couple live. It is where she is not allowed to cook or boil water. By all means, she must reimburse 750 S$ for her living and meals for all Singaporian package-like life.

10 days ago from writing this post, I heard that something went wrong with her. She was having a problem her stomach or appendix inflamation. She suddenly vommit after having lunch with her manager.

She is suddenly transfered to hospital, and checked what went wrong. Without having a result, she is so confused. Meanwhile, her Singaporian manager kindly informs her that she will have to pay all the charges for medical checks and whatever it takes in the process. Since it is the end of month close to payday, she asked him a favor to pay for her suggesting it would be possible to pay later right on payday. The response is "NO."

She called all known and little known Burmese friends in Singapore to collect money for discharge that night. That was OK.

Deion for her is that she needs to take care of food. She was back home in the late evening, where she was awaited by her old gentle couple saying "pack your bags, and you should go back to your Country tomorrow morning." Nothing or no words to say, she is weeping all night.

Next day she was found out that her company has already fired her. It's the end of story I know that is not. I can't understand the mentality of these people. I feel like that those people want their money back into their pockets (sickos, and racists). Money is the only God they worship and human just gets lost. What do you say?

Books Vrs Films

2008-09-03T18:31:00.002+07:00

Every first week of a month, I use to drop into one of major bookstores intown or uptown where I use to buy 2 books minimum in a hope to read them out before next first week of a month.

This week, I found myself out that the whole month August has been blown out with none such of reading. I may have touched them, but not have them read one-third.

I raise a question to myself; if my reading habits gone already. Acutally not, I've been busy all around the clock the whole month. But sometimes I remind it to myself that I have watched 2 movies; Closer featuring one of my favortie actress Julia Robert and Ratatouille (the odd cartoon movie which I just like it). What I want to say is those are all based from books.

While I can't read two books, I have watched two movies. This is truth. However books are still important to me and I will take it for granted.

Apology to my friends

2008-08-19T13:45:00.008+07:00

It has been such a mess when I re-touched this blog after a long while. I thought I need a change for "Living by society" in terms of design and look. I'm not savvy in this blogging of how to and what to. Default, default......
Accidentally when the blog re-appears again without miss-outs. My c-box has gone where receives easy access to say comments or simple hi!
I lost my friends' hello and hi, etc.,etc.,. Sorry, friends. I didn't mean to delete it. I really valued all of your friendship.

an animal

2008-08-18T17:37:00.006+07:00

I'm a social animal. you know? I put the words in the chat box to Thomas, one of my friends who live elsewhere,not in Myanmar.

He said
"I am human being too" :)

quoting men are social animals. You know he talked to me like that because I know he stands the same line as he is the social animal like me.

The question is if everybody is same-same when we think "No man is an island." I think there are few people who are not. Apprently they are different, wanting to stay alone. If extras to count on, they might keep their spouses and children at their maximum allowance. Some way, we can say those, as "introvert."

No, I'm not talking bombastic words. None of it. I'm serious as it is a glitch in life; matching different colors which make a painting called "life" later.
Ko Thet Maw (one of our friends, whose professional is an artist) is not the one who is painting, we are painting nothing but self portrait.

One of my message in my in-box today read as follows;-

We wish you a happy day indest regards and love from the sunny Brunnen"

You know there are some people around the globe, wishing me a happy day, everyday in 365.That's where I live. Since i'm a kind of that animal, i live with it.

You will be a successful biz man one day, growing a big family yourself. But it should not last until you have a fruit of friendship.

"OMG" my friend gasps, and says he is logging off. Ouch!! what-a-day!

Let's go till the end

2008-08-04T18:14:00.003+07:00

With your care and kiss, with my care and kiss
What do we need more? It's all complete

With your love and kiss, with my love and kiss
The future is bright, it's all complete

No elaboration, the simple journey
That’s for you and me, set already
With understanding, get through all troubles
Whatever happens, let's go till the end
When we face bad time, it's only for a while
Believe in our kisses, let's go till the end
Life might be obstacle, but it is practical
Believe in our kisses, let's go till the end
Let's go till the end
Let's go till the end

Original Myanmar song - "Kha yee lan sone hti shyauk"

English lyrics by Tin Maung Hlaing

Dramatis personae

2008-08-04T18:03:00.001+07:00

I was busy a while as one of my strong friends from Switzerland arrived last month in July to the land of pagodas ― to him, he most love Bagan in particular where thousands of pagodas and temples are dotted in brick-red tone of panorama. Since he was with Indian Archaeological department for six years, his vision on our culture are most poignant and profound. It may be one of the drives for him to love Myanmar and come back several times.

I had a trip with him to the South, Thaton last week and good chat at one late at night in a village house. He’s the one who conceives “the Buddhism” as part and parcel of life style in Myanmar. “You don’t know the reality of Burma and its people if you don’t try to understand the Teraverdha Buddhism that overwhelms all walks of life.” He said.

Our chat covers all our personal life bouncing back and forth Myanmar and Switzerland. The stream of conversation blocked at a point with a regular and very normal question where I was stunned a moment.

“How will you live when you grow old?” Knowing we earn merely to cover a saving for future, in both government and private vocations in general. At my silence he pushed upward another question that I couldn’t live silence since the questions are practical and awaking. “Will you depend on your kids?”

I responded in “a big no-no.” “I won’t.”
We must not hinder them asking a favor. Generations will not get any better if they can’t go onward in their youth momentum for no reason in this speedy World. We must give our generation our back or shoulder to jump on and see things beyond what’s we’ve seen.

I might want to go back my mother’s home, but it is not practical when they must have been dead.

My goodness! Where has my old Burmese done in their last survival? My grandpa lived and worked until his death. His death was an ease, he fell suddenly over the ground where peanuts were sun-drying under scorching sun. My grandma no longer worked since then, my mother and her sister took all the works over and care until her last breath.

My parents are still working. I know they are getting old. I couldn’t get a hand to them till now. Or they do not bother living so. Or they never asked me to come back and help. The family business has been cut off since my grandma passed away.

What if? as if my business were going down like this forever till the age I cannot work or good turning point never comes to me??

A light blinks. I know I’m not the one for such play of predicament; 45 millions are with me if not the whole 50 million of populations.

“Have you ever got a clue over why so many temples were built in Myanmar and why are we still contributing to build new ones?

Max, he is laughing to my feedback. I made a pause “you know why?”

“Yeah I might find an end in a Buddhist retreat! Hooray….” The question to me, myself is if I really want to do or not.

Rocking A workaday World

2008-06-27T17:18:00.007+07:00

The chanting rock music is whistling around from else where. ~in the dark night, you hear my grumbling cry~ a song by Lay Phyu , the all time rocker of Myanmar.

Stretching down legs from ratten-woven chair at my dining space, I take my easy time reading the whizzing clamour of tourism; sustainable tourism, responsible tourism and eco tourism. whatsoever..

It doesn't bother to have a man like me doing his own pleasure though it might sound way too far.

To my reason rather than my opinion, we are blessed to have a break -it is temporary I hope - thanks to zero or noose-dive arrival of tourists. Best time to learn and extend the knowledge. Isn't it? In a hope of business boom, saying "the time is yet to come." yon of future? "yippe - to say one day."

It's exactly midnight. The song, it's like a night birid. In the middle of fight between eyes and ears; I made a verdict. Let the ears go first as it is one of my favorite songs.

-Grumbling in agony
in the dark night
should you hear me
midnight gradually comes a dawn -

My mind flicks a thousand picture; of a guide who said to me this morning of his surviving chaos, a horse cubby in Bagan who has a big family of 5 none workable age, a palm climber in Bagan who took loan to repair his shack for tourist visit since last September and find no way back returning business yet, a hotel girl who has got a lay off for 3 months without pay when all the business are dramatically down.

The music bounces back. Like an illusion to me. I pray it is.

"Midnight flows too far in its stream
far out - broken night is endless"

In No Time

2008-06-25T12:53:00.002+07:00

Where will you stop, oh my dear blue sky?
Think on the way, in no time
When will it stop, all of my heart beats?
Think on the day, in no time
Thinking and walking, dreaming, gazing,
In a short time
Gazing, thinking, and walking
All in no time
While I'm gazing
While I'm thinking
While I'm dreaming
In no time
But I'm gazing
Yes, I'm thinking
And I'm dreaming
In no time, in no time

Original Myanmar song- "Khana Lay Mya"

English lyrics by - "Tin Maung Hlaing"

To shine a light of hope

2008-06-05T13:53:00.006+07:00

It was last 3rd April I kept silence in this blog - all untold stories, all private and public. It was 3rd May nobody could keep silence in the Country - all hunger, anger and sorrow- as severe Cyclone came by. It's 2 days after 3rd June, I come back on line for taking an artificial breath of internet.

Weeping through loss, pain and zero situation in post Nargis, my tears are for those who are homeless, lost family, jobless and finally hopeless. I have no denial for those who do not have tears for them. So be it. As the World itself moves not upright.

Yet there is a Burmese saying "a seed of sesame cannot alone make oil," there is other saying - I can't figure its origin- "a mouse in the rice pot is better than a rice pot nothing in it."

An old women that I met beyond Kungyangone in Yangon division was sitting aside the bush piled up by fallen trees and debris nearly 2 weeks after cyclone. She responded to my curiosity "that she has lost her daughter and grandchild. She believes that they were hidden in that bush. "You can smell that they are here!" she said when pointing her finger to the smelly bush. She's the survival of no hope. Mean while a men is waiting for another severe storm to take him away. Jeez!! 2 kids of 10 and 11 years old have seen their mother died away on their house collapse.
A boy rushed to me for a bargain - he needs food but he will show me around as his knowledge of what he has seen in where he lives would completely serve- saying "Ah-Ko (elder brother in Burmese), I will show you bodies. There are still here. Come, shoot photographs!"

2 days from then, has gone by. I was in a small village hidden by creeks beyond Pyapon to find out their shortage of food with our surprise arrival. Every villagers got shock seeing us! Thinking what the hell we are from.

After off and on, frog jump visit has been made once a week, it's hard to believe that it's 1 month in total that we've been dealing with the nightmare.

I'm there again in the village. All farmer fellows have no idea for what they should do next for the future since they have lost everything. Mean while, they are not certain for their food since they do not have job to earn food or money. "Ah-May! (mother in Burmese), your belongings -cows, buffaloes, tilling materials, gold wares as future reserve- all are not belong to you. We eat the rice you grow and it's our favorite. It's our pride to have it. It's not only you who lost. We both lost, Ah-May! But, this is an important "but" mother, that we as a whole need "knowledge" and "education" that will stay remained as long as we are alive.

Too late is too late and it sounds like teaching how to swim step by step when somebody is already drowning. "We have reserved food for the whole month, Ah-May! I will come back from time to time." In the big monastery of village where villagers can que and get their daily ration, has been stuffed by dried food and rice packs for 600 persons -which used to be bought and sold for commerical trade from Delta region- and where we keep them alive.

a story of a young begger

2008-04-03T16:45:00.004+07:00

Sitting on small stool at a tea shop while chatting and drinking tea with friends or work-mates, becomes a custom in Myanmar. I do not know when and how this type of modern tea shop civilization anchored the land and man's mind here.

Some says it's a waste of time. Some says it's a good working style or social gathering. I know some who are addicts, a tea shop is a second home to them. I used to fetch up lots of friends in my life mostly from tea shop rather than their parent's homes. Sometimes strangers become friends as they are frequent to see same old face in a same old place. Yes, we used to be bona fide sitters!!!!

How long we can go like this will be a further question we don't answer. I have a story to share with you at the time of those days.

My story is different I think than the other sitters. One boring day with friends at a tea shop called La Minn Thar, I saw a regular face around. He's a small boy, begging money walking in and around. This put my thought away from our table yet it's just a conventional sight to see. Since he is age of 10 years old, I think I can do something better for him. Or I'm trying to figure out how he can react his life or what he's gonna do for a career if he grows older. I think nobody wants to beg around.

Hey come! I signal my hand!
There he comes in humble eyes expecting..expecting..expecting

I say "I have no money but a question for you. Do you feel OK begging around? Or want a job?"

"I want.." He replies making a pause.

"then, I will give you a job." I call up the owner when I say. KO THET, the owner of shop agrees to accept him as a waiter. You know child employment is not an issue here and in comparison with begging, it's a better off.

I have not been to that tea shop since then as I went on summer holiday in Yangon from Pyay. One month later, I am back I am at a different tea shop with friends chatting, I see the face back again. He doesn't recognize me at once and he starts to ask money to me stretching a palm out.

When I take a look, he recognizes me and tries to run away. I chase him to ask what happened to his job as a waiter.

He says "Waiter is not a good earn, this business I'm doing now is two or three times than working as a waiter."

Later, he never asks me a job nor money. I don't want to know, what he's gonna be next.

No better road

2008-04-01T13:05:00.004+07:00

When I learned of "perception" in my University life, Ralph Waldo Emerson has been popular for his quotation; People only see what they are prepared to see.

Last winter, a group of 12 Swiss arrived to Sittwe airport for a plan to focus excursion to an Ancient capital of Rakkhine,by the name of Mrauk U. Networks of canals and creaks make Mrauk U hidden, and ideal location. This reserved Mrauk U unexploited.
Except waterway from Sittwe, Mrauk U used to be an access by no means. However it is no more true when it can be reached by road from Sittwe. It's newly constructed way over canals across the land.

It appears to be interesting to make a road trip and boat cruise the other way round so to see Mrauk U in full round.

The group has planned to take road to Mrauk U, and cruise back to Sittwe. The start seemed to be nice and easy for a bout 20 miles until the check points and official inspections area were gone. Later on, the road showed its authentic feature and natural aspects after all; stony, creaky and wavy.

The group uttered several oops now but for not next hours to come. The road became completely wavy and it made the bus bounced. All the passengers were swaying back and forth learning inertia theory. Everyone complained blur blur heap on the tour leader, Nardi who took grin in bear- knowing heading back is not an option. After 4 hours endurance for 30 kilometer ride, they reached to Mrauk U also known as Mro Haung to locals. Welcome to Mrauk U, Nardi said.

A local guide namely U KO KO has been interrogated next day a popular question among them if the road is suggestible or not to come to Mrauk U. Probably it is a typical tourist question to feel what local feels. Or they tried to know if the choice has been wrongly lead by the tour leader or local agency.

U KO KO, a Rakhine national who has been nowhere but Sittwe and Mrauk U got no idea why those people asked.

"it's the better road, why?" firmly said U KO KO. He knew the group would understand if they start touring at Mrauk U later.

"Have you been to Yangon?" Another question is thrown from the group.

"Rangoon?" U KO KO corrects. "No, I have not been. you know the word Rakhine is derived from Pali language which implies "patriotic. Thus, the people in Rakhine are more patriotic than others and cherish the land."

The group wondered how many KO KO would be here and were wishing a better road in the future.

While the night away

2008-03-25T12:54:00.002+07:00

I sit up when an expected black out comes in nearly midnight; figuring out the ordinary comforts. The Moon shines on bed, I think life is not always bad. The wind stands still though. This is a usual summer, or what we call "hot season." It is climbing its climax until mid of April.

I recall old days of my grand parents back in a small town cradled by Irrawaddy, Pyay. Grandpa used to sip hot tea with La-Phat-Thoke or tea leaves salad(sometimes tamarind juice dipped well overnight in the earthen pot to get natural cooler)under a big mango tree over a mat facade of our house. And people of his age gather around making a chat, recalling events, experiences and so forth. I used to hung around there. I did enjoy to listen their talks. When the night breeze is cooling down they parted to go bed.

What do we do here in Yangon? I am thinking. Going air conditioned restaurants late night, or road side shops, beer bars and night clubs? After all?

People gets back home where it's 12x50 feet or little more. Living room as a bed at night, Bathroom and kitchen is just a pace distance, another probable room so called bed room.
Tight rooms with or without air conditioned. It doesn't make a change these days when all the black out comes anytime it needs to. For those who had air-conditioned, the result comes miserable tight room of no ventilation. Finally they break all to get air in.
I'm so glad that I didn't have such one at home. It's wise not to have done.

It's the way it goes no harm neither to you nor the warming globe. Save energy, save the World. Aha.

I heard the Green Peace is trying to promote changing light bulbs home saving energy. Do they not forget us? We don't change the bulbs, we just have no use of it 12 hours a day minimum.

I heard the United States of America honors the light bulb inventor Edison switching off some minutes of city lights. Hey we do it here everyday. Not to honor you, but a reminder to all citizens that we need to work hard.

My thoughts are widely asunder sitting up on bed. The breeze comes in like 4mph. I feel like I'm drowsy. I know that I'm going to sleep soon to sleep another night again.

simple sin

2008-03-19T16:50:00.003+07:00

A monastery has been a place for us where you don't pay for your bed and meals. Being a Buddhist Country of widely practiced, it's impossible not to see a monastery in a Burmese village or a town. The monastery takes then a major role in Burmese travel town to town, village to village, a place you know to a place you don't know.

At my age of 9, in my novice-hood at Htee Su monastery in Pyay, there was a guest arrival in the evening to overnight in our monastery. He is well-built strong men looking blunt. We thought he came here for one night stand.
He stayed as a guest and me as a novice. Since I was young, I had nothing to do but learning some Pali verses and kept 5 restraints belows.
(1) Talking no lies
(2) Killing no lives
(3) Having no meals after midday
(4) Taking no sexual misconduct
(5) Having no intoxicating drinks and drugs.
The strange looking men was seen in the morning when he was eating his morning food, or having dinners or before bed. He was out day time, but sometimes he was back for taking a nap.

Seeing nothing he did at the monastery, I named him "Mr. Sleep n' Eat." One day, when I was chatting with my friend novices, our conversation turned to the strange looking men who was staying with us, calling his given nick, Mr. Sleep n' eat.

We were shocked when we learned that he was behind us (may be to take a nap today).

Hearing his given name, he was so furious saying; "Ko Yin, what do you want me to do here?"
(Ko Yin is the title of novice in Myanmar). We had no answers. We didn't know what he should have been doing. So we said "No, nothing."

"OK, then you mind you own business!" He replied harsh.

2 days later, he disappeared. We thought he might be an engineer in town to construct roads or water pipelines. We were sorry to say his nick, wished to see him once again to ask for an apology. We never see him though.

Dream inside a dream

2008-03-15T12:53:00.001+07:00

I had a dream last night. In the dream, I have had a dream of meeting with a rich blind man. He talks me about how he becomes rich. He hit it big by bequests through his ancestors. Lately he wins the big prize at State lottery. He recently was married the rich lady who sits on the cash flows from successful business through out the country. I'm in a sweat about my debate that nothing is free in the World while he persists on the rotation theory and freebies in the World.

I'm so tired that I fall asleep. Not sure but felt like as if I were out of the blue Earth. It's where Da Vinci comes to meet me. He let me sleep back exclaiming that he needs to paint my dream.

Then comes Einstein whom I have 2 questions. How far is the distance between Hell and Haven? And what types of watch do they use in Heaven and if it is same measure like 24 hour a day?

"Well, Hell and Heaven is next door ode to general theory of relativity." He explains. "One second in heaven is worth a time that he can do a thesis back on Earth." He goes on. "Ah .. excuse me as I have to look for God" There he left then when U Thant of Burma came.

"Why could you not have done solving problems of Burma, instead you were busy with the World issues??" I asked directly to U Thant who later came on up.

"Minding your own business would develop your life, son. The World is no further perplex after seeing & feeling things inside Burma." With no delay, he replied.

Oh I now realized I was way out from our planet. I tried so hard to make myself still as I was now in a big confusion where to head back. I saw a blue earth, but Myanmar, my beloved land. Do I return to Earth or to Myanmar? If I stepped wrong on the other land on the Earth, would I be assumed as "Betrayed or disloyal?

With the confusion I woke up. There beside me was the rich blind man smiling at me. He said "Wake up, I've been waiting for you here, but I'm lack of my time being here anymore." And he left me down a bag with full of cash. Good luck! he said when he closed the door.

I felt like I'm in the middle of no where now. I stretched out my hand to touch the bag of money. I didn't reach it as I woke up suddenly due to the heat of summer night.

Switzerland, a neighbor of Yangon

2008-03-01T12:43:00.001+07:00

Being a tour guide is such a gift in Myanmar. Good point is that what you learn is what you earn. It’s a good balance and encouraging to continual or life long learning. It is however good, to my humble opinion it’s hard to get through.

When you are on tour in the Country side what I called off-the-show-case, you face what you are not prepared. Mean while you act like an ambassador of your Country to whom you have to guide. While you heard somewhere “f…words” or showing fingers greeting to your guests that you have to simply ignore. These rural kids are so much American Oriented or what, by the Hollywood. They copy the greeting forms there as they think it’s the way to introduce to a white.

If I ever have time myself, I just directly approach the kids (some teenagers) and say it’s not right words or gesture to do so.

These are my déjà vu. Because you know Life is not always perfect. Here a remark in life regarding my rural lady that I saw at the top of Thamanya hill.

One evening back in 4 years at Thamanya monastery, dragged dirty party of three arrived. I had to guide a couple of Swiss and it has been 3 days in total coming from Yangon. Having no shower facilities and dining opportunities, we decided to climb the Hill all at once and spend the slow evening up there.

There is no glittering gold to show, or huge building to explain. Living with it at Thamanya, we were wandering through cooking place, dining hall, here and there. As we were doing so, we found a stall that sells herbal medicine where I made fun with a kind of powder staff what makes you sneeze if you put at on your breath. My guests started to try and made fun.

The lady of her 50s, who sell those, stared at us.
Do you come from Yangon? Asked in an I-know tone.

“Yes, I do.”
I answered in joy as I wanted to have this kind of communication with my guests.
Do you live together? She advanced the question.
“No, we are not. I’m from Yangon and they are from Switzerland.” I answered when I interpreted to my guests what was all Q&A.

Curiously she moved forward and raised another questions. “Is that Sweet-zar-lan” your neighbor? And what part of Yangon is it?

I said “No, different Country!” from the other part of World. It was my part to explain the lady myself as I wanted to make sure that she knew well after all.

The lady seemed confuse and obviously change talks for a light discussion and so forth. I was pondering how my mother has got to know where the Switzerland is or the other famous ones around the World. I must have checked or should have known. May be the lady was right. Who knows?

Hooray No spam here!

2008-02-27T20:32:00.001+07:00

I had different roles at work; being a tourist guide and a sales person. Commercial sense, in a way, being a tour guide you have a certain business in which you don’t need to deal or sell your services upfront to your guests. The question for you is if you can fly by the seats of your pant.

Differently, sales person is a frontier who makes a deal, tries to meet a guest’s need before hand. Your trial may be rejected or accepted. The uncertainty!

5 years ago, I received a young French couple who bought and dealt on line with me for a hotel in Yangon, Kandawgyi Palace. Tons of mail correspondence has been taking care of; unless they thought they got the best deal thorough my agency. Confirmed a double room for 3 nights, payment to be done “Cash upon check in” was overall deal. It has been set and nailed down 3 days before their arrival, out of all half a year long archive.

You know Life? It never happens as expected at times. They arrived. I helped checking in; sitting in the lobby, talking a business now exchanging invoice and vouchers.
Yeah, I know what you are thinking now? Yes, they refused to pay asking me to pay after check out which I couldn’t allow. Nothing to loose for them as they had room keys and room assignments already under my agency contract taking responsibility of reservation, if they pay or don’t. But what if they were checking out earlier than it was expected. If and only if???

Finally the young couple said
“We’ve been around the World”. Said scoffingly.

“I’ve not been around the World but I’ve been seeing different people different days from different places. “

We pay when check out every time! They kept saying it.
It’s not what we agreed! I proved it with a pile of e-mail print outs.

Eventually they said “Okay, we’ll pay one night fees the rest will be upon check out!” Informing them that they can do it with the hotel directly, I waved a hand out to a chubby duty manager in distance.

Then let me have money, please for a night charge! I said when I sketched on the invoice and vouchers to rephrase one night change from 3 nights. And exchanged the papers; 2 pieces from me, one dirty and ragged dollar note from them.

Okay, gentle man! The duty manager arrived.

“Well, I say these gentlemen were supposed to my guests here in your hotel, but now it’s changed. They will stay a night here through my agency and I will amend all the booking officially when I get back to office!” Please take charge the guests on your own account”

I announced. I turned after saying goodbye. When I walked out from the place, the duty manager started to explain their rack rates and walk in guests’ special treatment and privileges.
”It’s only 180 USD per night, sir!” I could sense that they could make a deal further down than the offer. But I’m sure they couldn’t beat my price of 50 USD a night for them. However let’s call it a day! You can’t do with one who fears trusting you!!!

Then next morning around 10.30AM, I made a call to the hotel, whether they kept staying there or not. And I learnt that they were gone already! I must say “Hooray No spam here!”

Arr-Nar-Del

2008-02-24T16:39:00.000+07:00

My parents once told me that to stop feeling “Arr-Nar-Del when making decisions for a turning point in life. It’s hard to get out from a Burmese Heart I suppose.

It’s the most colloquial phrase for all walks of life which sometimes turns a “yes” into a “no,” reversely a “no” into a “yes.” It’s a common confusion for one who tries to understand a Burmese.

The phrase means literally itself “a state of condition of a relation or behavior arouse by a worrisome of other’s dislike.

Often in our society, there is a verbal expression at least despite no reaction. For an instance, if one has to host an unexpected meal in no time, he says “Arr-Nar-Del, not a special menu home today!” It’s to express of his/her state of being worrisome and unconfident of a guest’s dislike.

Sometimes it’s a behavior or reaction without a verbal form. Let’s see!

A men to go somewhere, trapped in a conversation of one who is actively talkative. What he might react in two ways by the degree of important issues he has to. He may listen to the end of conversation simply without saying his appointment. Or if it were a deadly urgency, he would say “Arr-Nar-Del, excuse me kindly as I gotta go now for an urgency.” Then the latter would say “Arr-Nar-Del!” back to him for keeping him a while.

As a matter of fact, there are two main parts as (1) worrisome state of that other’s dislikes & (2) reaction upon.

Number 1 can be happened at both the first time meets and in between close ones, such as lovers, parents, husband and wife, and so forth. Number 2 doesn’t concern on affordance of what you react but what you do best in your way.

Thus, a Burmese saying goes “Don’t think I’m stupid, I do it because of being “Arr-Nar-Loh””

Believe it or not, there is a she-friend of mine who becomes a lover to whom she accepts all love letters, talks and finally gets dates.

Because she exclaimed to me once. “Arr-Nar-Del”

Yes, I’m a dog!

2008-02-13T16:11:00.000+07:00

Sometimes in my 11 year old, there is my favorite teacher who taught us both World and Myanmar History. As history is the boring subject, I never expected more neither on a history teacher nor a history itself. But my favorite teacher, U Zaw Win is a special one. He taught history like an exciting story the way everybody wants to listen to. The 40 years war between Mon and Burmese is one appealing to all of us.

As final examination time is getting next door, we are warned and encouraged by Sayar (a way to address a he-teacher in Myanmar) U Zaw Win that we should work hard, do revisions on all subjects, and so forth. He added that reading and intelligence makes a different line between man and animal. So he advised to ask if we are man or a dog, if we want to indulge for sleep when study at night. Dog has nothing to do but eating, mating and sleeping. Apart from that, we have something to read, study.

“Ask yourself first if you are a dog when you are sleepy in the study! No, you are a man. Try hard kids!! It’s important!!”

This resounds inward our minds. We are happy to know that we are higher than a dog by doing so.

At night, it was about 10.30 PM when I was about to finish a study of an English lesson. But my drooping eyelids told me that I should go sleep. But my sense told me not to. I’m a man, not a dog.

A few minutes later, I found myself I was almost asleep hitting my head on the table. Impossible!! I try on. Try on. Try on. Finally I realize that I am not studying, but seeing bubble like shady things inside the book. I am not studying, but trying my head up, down from the desk. I realize now that even if I go on, it’s nonsense. But my sense told me that to be a man. How come do I think so when my head make friends with the desk!

“I don’t care; I’m a dog for a while!”
I murmured to myself.

I’m so pleased with my inner confession and fall asleep there on the table till next morning. There was a dream that night, Sayar U Zaw Win appeared and asked me if I’m a dog. I answered “yes” thoroughly.

A man, A law and A Thought

2008-02-09T19:51:00.000+07:00

It is a regular evening of rush hour in Yangon. It is crowded, busy as always. I'm at a bus stop there waiting for my bus line 105 to my home at Tarmway. It is such a daily diary of bus fare ranging from 50 to 250 Kyats for Yangon people.
My Bus no. 105 is notorious one for its reckless drive and usual accidents on way. We have a nick name for drivers from 105 as Retired Air force who used to manage supersonics.\
There is a bus coming now shouting "Tarmway ...Tarmway" by its conductor. I crawl on the bus. By the rhythm of poking engine as if it were leaving now, the conductor says "Leaving.. soon.." I hate that kind of play, by the way.
I see a man of his 50s, looks like a Gandhi of India jumps onto the bus and take a place on the bench nearby the bus exit. Actually it's not a passenger bus, but a truck. Therefore, it's same way in and out with a step to jump on and down. At times, some passengers seems like being in the air griping the iron bar, on the wooden step at the back.
The bus does not leave yet. A women of her 60s jump onto our bus now. There is no place at all. When she stands aside simply next to the Indian man, the man stands up showing sign of an invitation to his bench spot. The woman says
"It's OK, next stop is mine." Alright, I can't guess where up to the Indian look man goes.
But the man insists on, the woman keeps denying. It's such chaos in the small truck.
The bus conductor now takes action this situation by commanding the man to sit back.
But the man insists on, the woman keeps denying. The truck is getting full now. The conductor who already lost his patience shouts at the man.
"Sit down or LEAVE NOW!!!"
The man stands still as the woman does same. Now the bus conductor is now trying to push taking him off the bus. But the man stands like a strong fortress. We all in the bus feel uncomfortable now.
I stand up suddenly pointing my place to the woman and say;
"Aunt you sit here, and uncle you sit there! Okay??" I don't know what makes him to think about it as he says that he's leaving now. "I don't take this damn bus, sorry!" says he when he jump off.
Now the bus leaves and everybody is gazing at the bus conductor wondering why it was so rude to do so to a passenger.
"Damn it! He'd have gone much earlier. He's drunk. As you know we'll be in trouble if he falls off"
Something like an explanation in his voice to his driver through wire connection.
I really don't know if the man is drunk or the conductor. I even don't know if this is should or shouldn't. What I know for sure is to be home, take shower and have rest.

H2O war

2008-02-06T12:22:00.000+07:00

It was once in my business environs recently. There was an email war. As usual, Myanmar nationals, as well as foreign expatriates who love Myanmar or rely on business carrier in Myanmar got involved. The bottom of line is how we should revitalize the drop down tourism. And one suggested dropping down the prices and the other to keep the normal rates to attract the travelers create a war.

It takes half of the month throwing words in and out among the hoteliers and tour operators. It is finally finished when it come an email expressing sharp words from an Italian to a German who starts the topic to drop price as an attraction. Everybody seems to go on their own way of promotion. I was not a part of this war as I’m strongly advised by one of my directors “Not to get involved!” As she knows that I may loose my tongue in a way. Yes, I may.

But this brings a day memory back to my teen hood in Nine Standard final examination room. It’s the day for Chemistry paper.
“sayarma” (to address a “she teacher” in Burmese) I break the thrilling silent exam room in my voice.

And I say
“Something must be wrong with the questionnaire, sayarma”

“What! What’s wrong? “
Teacher also a watcher of the exam room, advance and ask me softly. The exam room pays heed to us.

“I think there are typing or printing errors all the way in question paper. I see irregular tiny numbers and they are loosed in between alphabets. “I see for example bizarre size of number 2 in the middle of alphabets H and O.” The room now laughs at me out loudly which seems it will never stop.
The teacher (to whom I know next year pretty well and become one of my favorites) then get more close to me, get my ears and twisted it; which is her most favorite punishment style.

Ah… “Poor damn boy you are!! I got it now you are a big skipper!” “Okay, take care yourself if you see me next year” and now go back rest!!!

Not a wonder to myself! I always fail the class of Chemistry and it is so new and very first time to a nine standard student then to learn it. Bio, Chemistry and Physics are all new that time and it looks letters from Mars to me and my friends.
But a lesson I learn is that different things can go together though they are unequal, unsymmetrical and even they are not in a good shape.

I’m thinking now if the issue of email war is a kind of H2O again.

Happy Birthday Pan Pwint Nyi Nyi

2008-02-02T12:53:00.000+07:00

When I first noted that green leaves turning yellow have been falling in Yangon, it was the January that is going to turn a February tomorrow. I still recall the day back in 2007 of the same date. I was busy in my different emotions and responsibilities;my office, CWH (Central Women Hospital), and my apartment where it keeps my favorite beloved mother and sister. They come here from Pyay soon they heard that my wife will be due for an operation to deliver. They are here to help us. 1st February !!!!
Today now is the First February and it's the birth day of Pan Pwint Nyi Nyi. The only difference is that it was the Thursday and full moon last year and it's the Friday and Rainy day when reportedly a storm passed by the Region.
We let is pass simply today; crawling out from bed at 07.00AM, to go to the Famous Shwe Dagon Pagoda to do merits. It's still raining and it seems it's not going to stop for a week anyway.
We take a taxi of neighbor and jump out when we reach to the North Stairways also known as Thway Say Kan (Blood Wash pond) Entrance. Raining..raining.
We walk back to the steps of stairways where many shops are as we reach to the top by the lift. We buy Three Red Roses, Thapyay leaves *(which is believed to be Eugene leaves of Myanmar, we believe that brings success and victory in life) to offer to Lord Buddha at the Thursday point.
In all location of Buddhist temples, the Planetary Posts (Gyo Tine in Burmese) we have are eight according to on which day one is born; there stands 8 figures in each corner of a pagoda; Tiger for Monday, Lion for Tuesday,Elephant with tusk for Wednesday AM born and latter without tusk for Wednesday PM born, Mouse for a Thursday, guinea pig for Friday, Dragon for Saturday, Galon or Gruda for Sunday. They also have the exact location that Friday is always at the North of a Pagoda while Tiger is always at the East. So we are at the North now as we come from North Stairways lift and we are to go to Thursday as Pan Pwint Lay is a Thursday born.
We are in a hurry a little bit because my wife and I need to attend the office today as we both are committed at works today. In courtesy and tradition, we must visit a pagoda clockwise. But we decided to go anticlockwise Thursday post where we can jump an only post of Wednesday or Elephant post between Friday and Thursday place. I'm sorry but one who has been will know how long it will take a full round of Shwe Dagon. It takes only a few minutes to us and save time jumping over 5 posts already.
We offer the flowers, scent sticks, candle lights and power water. We pray, wish and we go separately to our Works. Pan Pwint lay gets a ride with her mum as her day play of grannies live close to her mum's work. Pan Pwin Lay has been so happy today that her smile is like a pumpkin and she does it all the way to ones we met. It's the day as simply as it is and Pan Pwint Lay has turned to One Year Old.

Special thanks..

2007-03-29T22:24:00.000+07:00

Nothing gets done perfect & smooth without these by oneself. In deed, I own thanks to these people.. Apologies for those who is not listed here, juz forgive me understanding a busy daddy.

Special thanks go to

First to beloved Wife, Zun Zun who gave all her best....
Dr.Daw May Mar Lar Swe & team on operation at Unit II CWH, Yangon.
Very kind and careful nurse Daw Su Mon Soe who takes all the good errands from the start to the discharge.
U Nyan Htun & Daw May Thant Sin who gives a special warm touch for their "bunch of roses" and giveaways for infants.
Office team, Aunty Tint who came on the very evening with Daw May Thant Sin. Ye Lin Aung, Ko Kyaw Min, Kathy, Nway Nway, Moe Moe, Moh Moh, Sai Aung Kyaw Min, Lwin Mar Htun & Htut Htut.
My ex-colleagues Thandar, Shwe Yi & Ma Thuzar.
Ko Thaung Myo Latt & Khin who came late visit to us after 2nd day of birth on his return from Singapore sharing thoughts before the hospital.
My friends, Nay Htet Linn (sate-ma), Tin Maung Win (G-P) who helps to and from transportation, Wai Phyo, Ko Kyaw Zaw.
Thanks are to U Kyaw Gyi and Ko Zaw Gyi for their a week long mosquito netting room for baby and their wishes. Also to Ma Yu, wife of Ko Zaw Gyi.
Max & family for their wishes and preparation items for baby before hand who are now back in Cold Switzerland.
Mr. J.T.Warring for his prayers and wishes from American whose birthday is one day after Pan Pwint Nyi Nyi.
Fredrick, Kathy and their family members.
My families, father-in-law, U Tin Aung and Daw Sanda, my mother Daw Than Hla & father U Ba Myint, sis Su Su and Pa Pa.

PAN PWINT NYI NYI - Sweet child 'O mine..

2007-03-29T22:07:00.001+07:00

Our owned little daughter has came up by 03.00PM of February 1st 2007. Zun Pwint, my wife must take operation which is too fast as 15 minutes. Soon after we heard out of operation room about both of mother and daughter is fine, we were so exited because all the environs are very wired to us such as the lift they used for transportation to the operation unit is like the one in a scary movie, very old and making sounds.

Later a doctor came to us and showed the baby. She's so cute. The waiting companies are daddy, grandma from daddy side and grandpa and ma from mama' side..

After a long while, we moved back to Special VI room. She's 1 pound and 13 ounce, a healthy soft baby I've ever seen.

We stayed there for a week and discharged then to home.